'If New Zealand needed points there would be no cancellation'
REACTION: Italy captain Sergio Parisse made no secret of his utter disappointment at the cancellation of their final Pool B match due to Typhoon Hagibis.
In an unprecedented move at a Rugby World Cup, organisers scrapped the matches between England and France and New Zealand and Italy – with both fixtures in the path of the powerful typhoon.
While England and France both advance to the quarter-finals regardless, with two points each from a Pool C match now deemed a draw, Thursday’s announcement ended Italy’s slim hopes of reaching the last eight.
“It is difficult to know that we won’t have the chance to play a match against one of the great teams,” Parisse told the Irish newspaper the Independent in Toyota City on Thursday.
“If New Zealand needed four or five points against us it would not have been cancelled,”
He added: “It is ridiculous that a decision of this nature has been made because it isn’t like the fans arrived yesterday.
“It is ridiculous that there was no Plan B, because it isn’t news that typhoons hit Japan. The alternative is Plan B. When you organise a World Cup you should have one in place.”
*Article continues below…
Italy coach Conor O’Shea was left lamenting a “horrible” end to the Azzurri’s World Cup campaign.
The coach admitted that it would have required them to beat New Zealand for the first time – and even that might not have been enough to reach the play-offs.
Nonetheless O’Shea, who accepted officials had faced a “hard decision”, voiced frustration that Italy would not at least get the chance in Toyota.
*Article continues below…
“I saw the players’ reaction after training and it was horrible because these guys have given their lives to Italian rugby and their World Cup has ended on the training pitch, when it should be on the playing field,” O’Shea told reporters at Italy’s hotel.
“For the World Cup not to finish in front of the fans on the pitch, in front of the fans watching on TV in Italy, it is a hard day for all of us and difficult to put into words,” he added.
O’Shea was particularly upset that Italy hooker Leonardo Ghiraldini had now been denied an on-field farewell to a Test career of over 100 caps before he retires.
“You’re very emotional especially for Leonardo Ghiraldini, who missed his last chance to play in an Italy jersey and to hear that your international career is finished after training is tough to take,” he said.
“I feel bad for Sergio and the whole squad.”
*Article continues below…
Italy were thrashed 3-49 by South Africa earlier in the pool and few expected them to beat New Zealand.
But O’Shea said: “You never know what can happen on the pitch.
“We had the chance to qualify. I’m not saying we would have beaten them [the All Blacks], but you want to finish on the pitch.
“The match versus New Zealand wasn’t the last match of our World Cup. It was the next challenge on our journey and that was our mentality.”
Source: AFP & Independent.ie
Related Articles:
Two matches cancelled as typhoon threatens World Cup
Eddie Jones: ‘Typhoon gods’ smiling down on England
